Stockpile Safety

Posted on May 11th, 2016

Keeping our employees safe is our number 1 priority at Hedrick Industries.

According to MSHA, seven dozers were involved in stockpile accidents last year. Stockpile accidents happen most often when the rock material is “bridged” over a feeder, or other equipment, and a hidden cavity forms. Idle, rarely used stockpiles can also become more prone to bridging as the rock material consolidates over time. Stockpile bridging has the potential to be a serious danger, so use these practices to prevent accidents around stockpiles:

1. Never operate dozers directly above a feeder.
2. Always operate equipment facing the feeder
3. Place markers directly overhead of a feeder to indicate its location.
4. Install high strength safety glass in dozer cabs used on stockpiles.
5. Equip stockpile dozers with a transmitter that sounds an alarm and stops feeders and belts when the signal is lost.